Wild Geranium (Crane’s Bill)

An herbaceous perennial, much branched on stiff, hairy stems. Frequently found in colonies. Flowers about 1 inch across, few to several on long peduncles subtended by leaflike bracts; petals 5, deep magenta to pink or rose, often marked with darker shades. The 10 anthers wither before the stigma is receptive, ensuring cross-fertilization. Blooms April-June. Leaves with long petioles (leaf stems); basal leaves 5–7, cleft into wedge-shaped sections; stem leaves only 2 on a stem, smaller, on shorter petioles. Fruit a 5-parted capsule, narrow and sharply pointed, resembling a “crane’s bill.”